Wonder
by insertcleverandwittytitlehere
Summary: Even in the midst of war and turmoil, the Lupins are able to grab hold of a little wonder.


**A/N: **This is the Chudley Cannon Captain stepping in as a reserve for Beater 1 for Season 7 Round 6 of the QLFC.

**Prompt: **_War_. Write a fic set during a wizarding war (either one we know about or one of your own creation).

**Word count (before A/N): **1,728 words

* * *

Remus awoke with a start, his heart nearly leaping out of his mouth as the weight of his wife's hand clamped down on his wrist. Hard.

"The baby," her eyes found his in the dark, wide and scared.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, he's—_coming_." Dora began to moan, both her hands now retreating to the bulge nestled beneath her nightgown. That's when Remus noticed the wet spot on her clothes and the bed.

"My water," she tried to explain between panting breaths.

Remus jumped out of bed, the sheets tangling beneath his feet. With a thud, he landed on the floor.

"Remus!"

"'M alright," he was already crawling toward the door, stumbling to his feet as he entered the hall.

"Andromeda," he called, his voice a whisper. Merlin, why was he so thirsty all of a sudden? Dora cried out behind him, and Remus shouted out again. "Andromeda!"

_The baby_, he thought. _Coming. Now!_

It was early. They were supposed to have two more weeks, they were—

Andromeda came flying out of her bedroom, her evening robe billowing out behind her like the wings of a phoenix. Her hair was wrapped up in curlers, but several strands were poking through. There was a slick green goo pasted on her face, and Remus nearly fell over again, thinking the mad titan Medusa had come for him.

"What is it?" Andromeda's shrill voice cut through his thoughts.

Words, he needed his words!

"The baby," he clutched at the wall, steadying himself. "It's coming!"

Remus turned around, then back to his mother-in-law, then back again, half expecting Dora to be standing at his side.

"Where—" He looked to Andromeda again. "St. Mungo's, we have to go. Dora!"

He turned again, unable to make up his mind. What was he supposed to do? What was he _meant _to do again?

Suddenly, a hand was on his wrist. Remus looked at where Andromeda had reached out to him, her bony hand connected with his own. Up close, she looked decidedly less like Medusa and much more like the woman he loved and adored.

"Muriel's," Andromeda looked into his eyes. "Molly's there. She'll know what to do."

"Molly?" Remus paused again. Just like that, every thought he ever had in his lifetime was racing through his head again.

Dora cried out from their bedroom. Remus made to go to her, but Andromeda's grip only tightened.

"Breathe, Remus," she said. "Breathe."

He did. Once, twice, three times, until his mind cleared. He smiled sheepishly at the woman in front of him.

"Right," Remus took in a deep breath. "Right, yes. We-we can't go to St. Mungo's."

"Molly can help."

Remus gulped, every nerve in his body buzzing from adrenaline—both the kind made from excitement and the kind made from panic.

Andromeda laughed. "This isn't scary, I promise," she said, laying a hand against his cheek. "This will be wonderful."

"I know," Remus smiled back. And finally, he could think again. Could breathe. He laid a hand against Andromeda's and together they let out a small giggle.

The baby was coming!

"Guys." They both turned to see Dora standing in the hallway now, a pair of Remus's sleep pants half-hazardly pulled over the bottom of her nightgown. She had her bag wrested in the crook of her elbow and her wand dangling from her left hand.

"I'm touched, really, that you've both decided to have a moment," she panted. "But I could really use the help _here_."

Remus rushed to Dora's side, Andromeda to the other, guiding her down the stairs.

"Send your Patronus," Andromeda commanded once they sat Dora down at the kitchen table. "Tell Arthur to open the Floo. We'll have to go that way. Oh, and he'll need to close it right after we get there."

Remus nodded, his eyes never leaving Dora's face. She looked pained, but in a good way, like she was excited and scared and nervous and joyful. All the things he knew he was feeling, too.

Although, if it were up to him, he'd take away the bad parts. Give her only the good.

He knelt down to look into his wife's eyes. "Are you ready for this?" he whispered.

Dora paused, her eyes searching his face. Was she worried he had asked because he thought he wasn't ready? Had the fear returned from when he nearly abandoned her all those months ago?

Quickly, he took her hand in his, kissing each of her knuckles. He would spend the rest of his life showing her just how much she meant to him.

"I've never felt more ready in my life," she finally said, her beautiful eyes turning a shade darker.

"Oi! What is this? We can't have a moment, but you two can?" Andromeda huffed, the green goo on her face starting to slide down onto her neck. It had taken on the consistency of guacamole since he last looked at it, and now instead of feeling rightfully chastised, Remus almost felt like laughing.

"Send that Patronus, Remus. _Now._" A big glob of goo hit the floor with a _squelch_. Remus turned away, hoping his mother-in-law hadn't seen him grinning.

Moments later, Arthur's weasel came scampering into the kitchen, confirming their safe transport.

* * *

"How did you do this with _seven_?" Remus asked.

They had been waiting all morning, afternoon, and now early evening, and still no baby. Dora had been remarkable so far; Remus had never felt more proud. But the anxiety and guilt that he couldn't help more gnawed at him.

"After the first two or so, it almost becomes routine," Arthur laughed. The two were standing outside of Muriel's bedroom, waiting as Molly, Ginny, and Andromeda tended to Dora inside. Remus had been there for the vast majority of it, but then the women shooed him away after his panic started to upset Dora.

Now he was stuck imagining what was going on inside.

"Come on, Remus, it's alright," Arthur placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. "When Bill was born, I fainted, so you're already ahead of me."

"Fainted?"

"The blood," Arthur shook his head. "And the other stuff."

"Other stuff?" a third voice said. Remus and Arthur turned to see the twins entering the hall.

"What, did a dragon come crawling out?" Fred smirked.

"No, that was likely with Charlie," George sniggered.

"You two be quiet," Arthur rolled his eyes. But Remus could see the smile hiding behind his lips. "What are you doing up here anyways?"

"It was this or listen to Aunt Muriel's story on the 1924 shopping spree she had with her mother—"

"—again—"

"—for the eighth time—"

"—today—"

"Not to mention, she's told us both to lose some weight," George finished. "Which is plain rude given the size of her—"

"Ahem," Arthur fixed them both with a stern look, but the twins barely seemed to notice.

"Besides, we wanted to know how Tonks was doing," said Fred. He found a spot on the wall opposite Remus and Arthur and leaned against it. Soon George did the same.

"As well as expected with no trained Healer," Remus sighed. He kept coming back to that, the lack of someone trained in medicinal healing. Molly was well and good, and her experience of giving birth was clearly top notch, but—

She wasn't trained to do this.

Remus let his head drop, his eyes searching the brown carpet beneath his socks. Arthur had lent him a pair after they arrived still in their nighties. He was certain he was wearing one of Ron's jumpers, though the youngest Weasley son's whereabouts were still unknown.

Momentarily, Remus wondered if Ron, Harry, and Hermione were okay. He shook his head.

This is what war did, didn't it? Separate families, tear open homes, and keep people like Remus out of hospitals.

All because they were fighting for a cause. All because they were targets.

"I wish Ted were here."

Remus blinked. Lifting his head, he saw Andromeda standing in the doorframe to Muriel's bedroom. She looked normal again—the green goo had been wiped away from her face after Muriel had mistaken Andromeda for a goblin and tried to curse her. The hair curlers were gone now, too, and nothing was left than her radiant smile.

"Ted?" Remus said.

"Yes, he'd have loved to meet his grandson, after all."

Remus felt his heart pounding wildly against his chest, almost bursting from the mix of relief and excitement coursing through him. He took a tentative step toward the door, his eyes desperately searching the room behind Andromeda for a glimpse of Dora.

Without a word, Andromeda stepped aside, letting Remus enter. Molly and Ginny were both smiling at him, but they too stepped to the corners of the room, letting Remus take in the sight of his family.

His family.

He hadn't had one of those for such a long time.

"Well, don't stand their gaping," Dora smiled. Her hair was a delightful rosy pink and her eyes shone like little stars. She'd never looked more beautiful (or tired, but he wouldn't tell her that now). "Come say hi."

Remus sat on the bed. Dora leaned over, pulling back the cloth from the baby's face.

It took him a moment to realize what he was looking at, but when it finally settled into place, Remus started laughing.

"Blue?" he looked at Dora, the mirth echoing in her face.

"I suppose he's like me," she said.

"Blue hair, that's definitely a statement, isn't it, Teddy?"

"Teddy?" Andromeda's voice broke through the bubble that had settled around them. Tears were already welling up in the corners of her eyes.

"Of course," Dora said, reaching for her mother to join them.

When all was said and done, and Teddy had been passed from Weasley to Weasley, Remus sat with Dora by his side in Muriel's bed. Teddy was sleeping soundly in his mother's arms.

"I like that it happened this way," Dora whispered.

"What way?"

"Here. Surrounded by friends."

Remus nodded. He never imagined something like this could be real. Could be his.

Did he still wish they had the chance to go to St. Mungo's? To have a trained Healer at their beck and call?

Of course. But even without the war, he doubted he'd have been completely welcomed by the hospital, considering what he was.

But here… yes. This was beyond his wild expectations. As Andromeda had said that morning—this was wonderful.


End file.
